


The Anatomy of Melancholy

by Scinon



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Dark, Help me I don't know how to tag, I'll probably add more tags as I go, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mystery, Obsession, Possessive Behavior, Slow Build, Some Humor, Some Swearing, and I mean this will get really dark, innuendos, lots of them - Freeform, this is a mystery fic I can't give everything away
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-09-01
Packaged: 2018-04-02 04:27:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4045924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scinon/pseuds/Scinon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren Jaeger is your average boy who studies photography, avoids having a social life at all costs and would pick the internet over his friends any time just to escape reality.</p><p>Levi, on the other hand, is a little messed up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Hopeful Kind of Sad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, even though it might not look it as this is the first chapter, this is an actual mystery fic with an actual mystery to solve! It has a quite slow built and hints in every chapter so grab a notebook or sit back and watch as every character in here goes through their personal little hell until the end~

  
 Eren. He was not what one would call your average boy next door. More like your above-average, asthmatic boy next door. The dreamy, five-foot-seven brunet with honey eyes that was going to have the nurses falling at his feet in adoration when he returned to the hospital for his monthly checkup.

 He stepped off the bus which left him right outside the facility. How convenient, right? After ensuring he had forgotten or lost nothing in the hustle of the crowded means of transport, he paraded towards the navy blue entrance of the large building. Occasionally he would look around in hopes of seeing something different for once. But it was all the same.

 On his right, he could see an abundance of flowerbeds streching throughout the garden. It was the only bit of colour the terminally ill inhabiting the place would get to see between the black and white of all they knew. Maybe a tiny glimpse of hope, a friendly reminder that grey was a colour too.

 On his left, the paramedics were parking the truck in the employee parking lot and taking out a man on a stretcher. Dark purple, red, blue and tints of yellow spread all over the poor human's face. But it was nothing new to Eren's eyes, he was just another broken person among thousands.

 Disappointed, Eren sighed. He recalled the first few times he had come to this very hospital for the exact same reason. Back then, he would put his trusty, lightweight Canon to good use. He would take pictures of the colourful flowers, the hopeful people, the credible staff and add them to his portfolio. Everything looked beautiful back then but now his camera was simply hanging aimlessly around his neck. What had come to change?

 Without pause, he pushed with his body weight against the double door, but he needn't have, it swang open soundlessly and with ease. A draft of air hit his face, warm and accompanied by a tincture of bleach. He pulled his eyes from the highly polished linoleum floor to catch a glimpse of the hallway that stretched beyond. One child was in a neck brace, another was screaming in the corridors, doctors came running, some emergency cases. Why would anything change over the past month anyway?

 Eren simply walked past everything in a way that could be considered either arrogant or oblivious. But it was neither. He was fully aware of everything around him, he knew that some would live and some would die. Some sooner, others later. Some screaming, others in silence. And the latter was more than appreciated.

 He talked to the first nurse he saw. Well, the first one that was, thankfully, unhurried and willing to assist him. New doctors came and went like moths, more often than not switching offices with one another and Eren would not bother searching for his own.

"Please, wait here. The doctor should call you in a little." She pointed at an empty seat, smiling politely.

"Thanks-" Eren paused and squinted his eyes slightly in order to read the name on her tag. "Hitch."

 The polite nurse merely waved at him and left, leaving Eren among a few other patients who would sneeze and cough indiscreetly. 'Gesundheit', he would think to himself but knew that no one ever appreciated words from a complete stranger. For a change, once in a while some kind person would say, "Bless you." They'd be thanked in response and Eren would be left thinking: If you have a tissue handy, hand them the fucking tissue.

That was basically how his noon was spent in the hospital once every month, Fridays mostly as he always had fewer classes in college that day. He did nothing but wait to see if this time's 'a little' would be more or less time of waiting than his last visit. But this time, something different did happen. Somebody walked through the door and Eren found himself staring in awe.

 For some reason he lost his breath at the sight of yet another stranger. But this one was... different. He looked so beautiful with his unruly, jet-black hair that framed his face perfectly. The whiteness of his oversized T-shirt was a disgrace compared to the palor of his skin. He seemed lost, idly inspecting the room before turning to look at Eren. Gold clashed with silver; making Eren's heart sink. His eyes were hollow and pale, almost as if all colour had been sucked out of them.

 The shorter man's eyes formed into slits as he observed Eren, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly as if he was confused. His bare feet could be heard as he steadily and slowly moved closer to the young boy. Everyone's eyes were flitting between the two and Eren desperately tried to focus his attention on something else, hoping to escape the uneasiness of the moment.

 All that actually drew his attention though, was the intravenous needle dug into his forearm. It was not connected to anything, which raised many questions in Eren's head. Was that man supposed to be wandering around like that? Why did he look so disconnected? Why was he so intent on approaching Eren out of all people?

 He situated himself on the hard plastic chair next to the student, his eyes finally straying from his own golden ones to look down at the slate grey floor. "Who are you?" He asked in a monotone and Eren's jaw went slack. No one was looking at them anymore.

  
"Eren." He answered breathlessly, still trying to wrap his mind around the situation. "And you are?" He asked, forcing a kind smile on his face.

  
 Just then a woman's voice ripped through the silence of the room. "Levi Ackerman!" She yelled and both men turned to where the voice came from simultaniously, along with everyone else in the room, spotting the woman who was followed by two larger men.

  
"Rico Brzenska." The man, Levi, retorted sarcastically. Eren couldn't help but chuckle at that response. And the fact that he pronounced the name perfectly made it all the more funny. What kind of name was that anyway? However, his expression turned curious once more when the woman motioned Levi to her direction and he obeyed. They began to walk away but Levi stopped in his tracks; his voice echoing through the room. "I'll see you again." The four then walked off and all looks were on Eren again, only difference was they were followed by constant, irritating mumbling.

  
 The tension in the atmosphere started getting to him and in a rush of adrenaline Eren ran into the corridor searching for tracks of the people that left the waiting room right before him. He saw them in the distance and followed slowly. Every few seconds he passed a different set of doors with a hand-sanitizer dispenser: to oncology, to geriatrics, to maternity. And then they finally entered one.

  
To psychiatry.

  
 Eren shook his head to snap out of the momentary shock. Why did he care anyway? Was it because that man seemed to have particular interest in him? Was it because he said they would meet again? Was he some psychopath that had just decided on his next victim? No, that couldn't possibly happen. He couldn't leave the hospital, could he?

He tried to clear up his thoughts as he headed back to the waiting room.

Right then, a nurse came out of the doctor's office and glanced around. "Eren Jaeger?" It took Eren a moment to register her words and finally reply, "I'm here." The nurse looked over to him and smiled. "Doctor Smith will see you now." He nodded and followed the nice nurse in the office which, although new, looked just like all the others. 

"Hello, Eren." The familiar voice of the charming, blond doctor said.  
  
"Hello, Doctor Erwin." Eren nodded, removing the strap attached to the camera hanging from his neck and placing it on the examination table beside him. He, then, quickly proceeded to unbutton his red shirt.  
  
"In a hurry today, are we?" Erwin asked rhetorically, placing the clip on his nose to keep his nostrils closed and handing him the mouthpiece he would be needing. He didn't need instructions or anything of the sort, Eren had done spirometry tests countless times in the past.  
  
"You had me waiting for quite a while today." Eren argued before setting the transparent mouthpiece in place so the doctor could actually get to the test.  
  
"Ah, yes." Erwin nodded. "You see..." From that point on, Eren stopped paying mind to him. He was probably spurting out excuses for being late to accept patients. The boy had heard those before too, he didn't really care about whatever emergencies had come up. He just wanted to get done with this test and leave. No, he wanted a reason to come back as soon as possible. He wanted to see that man again. Why did he even care so much about him? At the end of the day, _he was just another broken person among thousands._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this small intro and will stick around for more~


	2. Among Strangers

_"I'm afraid the information you're interested in is confidential, Eren."_ The teenager sighed delicately as he recalled his earlier conversation with the doctor. After some minutes of jabbing his metal keys in sharp motions, he reached the door to his home and opened it to be welcomed by the pleasant warmth of the familiar environment.  
  
 "Mom? Mikasa? I'm home!" He shed his backpack by the door before running up the stairs of their two storey house. His adoptive sister, who was older by a year, was still in college herself, studying law enforcement and training hard to make it into the police academy. It had always been her dream since the day her parents were brutally murdered in front of her when she was little.  
  
He peaked into her room, assuming it was fine since she had left the door open, and as expected she was working out.  
  
 "So how'd it go?" She asked, taking a break from pounding her bright red punching bag and looking at him lovingly like she always did. She was tenderhearted when it came to him, only him. She liked to call this brotherly love whilst knowing all too well it was more than that.  
  
_"But I can tell you few things, provided that every single bit of this conversation stays between us."_  
  
 "He wasn't there. Apparently something came up, I'll have to go again next week." He lied. Why did he feel the need to lie to his sister? He was not quite sure. Maybe he felt responsible enough to have his own affair with no people trying to stick their nose into it. Maybe.  
  
The girl simply nodded and returned to her previous occupation, throwing steel punches like a perpetual motion machine. "Hey, Eren."  
  
A soft 'hm' sound escaped his nostrils and he looked back at her on his way out of her room.  
  
 "I hope you're not forgetting what today is, are you?" Fuck. In the mindless haze that had been almost his entire day, he had forgotten it was his mother's birthday. That would probably explain why she was not home, too. Carla would usually grab the opportunity to surprise the kids with homemade pizza or cake on occassions like this, which demanded that she took the necessary time to get the ingredients needed while buying them time to get her a present.  
  
 Without responding, he quickly ran to his room to gather whatever money he could find in various pockets or drawers, anything but a wallet, then rushed out of the house to the local florwer shop.  
  
 In his haste, he did not notice the tiny droplets of water falling delicately from the sky, staining the pavement. But even if he had, there was no stopping him. His mother would be back any moment now and he would feel like absolute trash greeting her empty-handed.  
  
 The high-pitched ring of a small bell could be heard as he sauntered in. The dustless shop was a minefield for the clumsy. Delicate and expensive hand crafted vases, porcelain and glass giftware were all left on low shelves where they could be easily knocked and broken. A cute little sign hung greedily in the window, 'nice to look, nice to hold, but if you break it, consider it sold.' Nothing seemed particularly different since the last time he had been there but he might as well have had a look while he tried to catch his breath.  
  
"If it isn't little Eren! Welcome back, sweetie. What can I do for you?" The nice ginger smiled brightly at him as she approached him.  
  
 "I am not little, Petra." He replied breathlessly but returned the smile anyway. The woman had always been good to him -extraordinarily so in some cases. But she had obviously had her fair share of struggles, so if being good to certain people made her feel better, then so be it.  
  
 "Whatever tickles your pickle, honey." She chuckled, helping him regain his posture. "So, what will it be today? Peonies for nobility and value? Zinnias for lasting love and kindness? Dahlias for love without compomise?" Petra suggested, recalling his previous picks of flowers. He had never been one to make his choices based on looks. He always looked deeper into their resemblance and Petra knew that need very well, it was one of the few things they had in common.  
  
"Hydrangeas." He answered confidently and Petra could just tell why he wanted them.  
  
 "Heartfelt emotions of gratitude and splendid beauty. Is it for your mother?" He nodded with a faint blush colouring over his once pale cheeks as the youthful woman began picking flowers of different heights before placing them in a simplistic vessel of water. She then procceeded to add a generous amount of turqoise water beads that sank to the bottom soon after, their vibrant aqua hue truly brought out the lilac colour of the hydrangeas.  
  
 "Have you been keeping your asthma in check? We don't want anything happening to you. Especially after the accident." At that moment, her fiance walked out of the back of the store, what Eren thought to be some kind of storage. Oluo, that was his name. It was not often heard, he hardly ever introduced himself. Conversing with him was out of question.  
  
 Why was he staring so intently at Eren though? Leaning against the door frame and just staring at him. The boy could think of some possible reasons for that but the more he thought about it, the more he could feel his left eyelid twitching uneasily.  
  
 "Y-yeah. I had an appointment with my doctor just today. But you know, it's not like something can be done to prevent things like that." It seemed like her heart sunk just then. For some reason, her expression always turned glum when they spoke of his disease. She was the only one to react this way.  
  
 Once she had finished her beautiful creation, she handed it to him and just as he was about to pay for it, she stopped him. "It's on the house." She said sternly before he could argue. He nodded gratefully and exited the store, his jeans soaked in less than a minute as his feet splashed in the sudden river on the road.  
  
 He slammed the door forcefully behind him, leaning his wet back against it. His mother ran there, sister following soon after, to see the bright-eyed boy shaking ever so slightly as he hugged the present to his chest.  
  
"Happy birthday, mommy."  
  
 He smiled widely, holding out the colourful gift for her to take as he stood there. Looking as innocent as he did when he was still a child, hair stuck to his face and head, like being fully dressed in the shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got any comments or feedback for me? Should I continue this? I'd greatly appreciate some feedback~


	3. Comatose

A shower was all he needed that day. It had truly been a rollercoaster of all kinds of emotions and he wanted the hot water to dissolve them. Water always made him feel peaceful. It was a cleansing technique taught by his father and whatever black magic it was, it never failed to do the trick.  
  
Once done, he carefully dried himself off inside a snow white towel, then wrapped it teasingly low around his hipbone. His first thought after getting back to his room was to turn on his laptop. He had not been online the whole day so it would have probably been impossible for anyone to reach him.  
  
He carried the fancy gadget to the bed carefully and by the time he had lain down, Skype had already popped up and someone was calling him. Without really looking at the person's username, he answered. The voice on the other end could have scared anyone to death, but Eren was used to it.  
  
"Do you always answer people's calls naked?" Armin yelled in his high-pitched voice, making it sound even more intolerable than it already was.  
  
"Towel." Eren replied, lowering his camera momentarily so Armin could see.  
  
"Now I'm relieved." The blond boy said sarcastically.  
  
Eren rolled his eyes and simply got straight to the point. "So, what is it that you want?" He did not get an answer but that was expected, the slightly younger guy on the other end was known for getting carried away easily. "Armin?"  
  
A soft 'hm' escaped Armin's lungs and Eren could already guess what had him so transfixed.  
  
"Armin, are you writing fanfiction again?"  
  
Different shades of peachy pink occupied his cheeks now and he finally turned his eyes away from the screen to hide his embarrassment. "No..."  
  
"Is it about Jean and Marco?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
Well it was either shipping his classmates together or studying excessively which had proven pretty bad for him in the past, so Eren simply passed it off with a shake of his head.  
  
"Sometimes I feel like you're secretly gay and desperate to come out, other times I just think you really need to get a life."  
  
"Says you?"  
  
Ouch. The awkward silence and unamused expression on Eren's face must have made it clear that Armin took it a bit too far, so he decided to change the subject immediately.  
  
"Hey, Eren. Jean said-"  
  
"What makes you think beginning your sentence with that name will make your invitation even the smallest bit appealing to me?"  
  
"I don't know. He suggested it. Anyway, you haven't gone out with any of us in a long time. We've missed you."  
  
"I don't care."  
  
"So you'll just stay in again? On a Saturday night? What are you, a social outcast?"  
  
"What are _you_ , my mom?"  
  
"Oh my god. Why do I even bother." He hung up.  
  
That was the only interaction between Eren and Armin, that's how it had always been. Or at least for the past four years, since Armin's grandfather lost his mind. Having guests and a nutcase would be too much for Armin to juggle and leaving the old man alone was out of the question.  
  
The brunet suddenly felt a wave of anger rise inside him but he had to contain it and be the better person. He pulled out his phone, something he did on rare occassions, and dialed Jean's number, something he did on the rarest of occassions.  
  
He rested on his back and waited. He was getting impatient and ready to hang up but it was at that very moment the other finally picked up. "Hello?"  
  
"Took you long enough."  
  
"Yeah, well. I'm busy."  
  
"Walking around Las Vegas on Google maps, looking for your dream girlfriend?"  
  
"Did you call just to get on my nerves? Because if that's the case, Jaeger, I'm hanging up. I finally have the liberty to drink beer without pants on and I won't let you ruin it."  
  
Eren could not help but laugh at the mental imagery he got. "Can you tell Armin that I'll be sure to come?"  
  
Jean gave an exaggerated gasp. "Your highness will finally honor us with his presence?"  
  
"Yeah, well..."  
  
"Is Mikasa coming with you?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Cool." Seriously, why did no one ever say 'bye' or something before hanging up.  
  
The phone slid out of his hand and fell by his head on the bed.  
  
"Sociopath, huh?" Eren muttered to himself, remembering the words of his doctor.  
  
_"His name is Levi Ackerman, his case is confusing. He's here for sociopathy for what I've heard. He passed the psychiatric evaluation. After three days in the psych ward during which he didn't cause any trouble, he was allowed to leave. But he didn't."_  
   
Confidently, he climbed off the bed and threw on the darkest clothes he owned. Black t-shirt, tight jeans, combat boots and a beanie, topping it all off with a faux leather jacket. He needed to discuss this with a certain someone and dressing in such fashion was probably the best way to go about approaching said person in their surroundings.  
  
"Mikasa, I'm going for a walk! Tell mom I won't be long." He informed and, although unsure whether she had heard or not, he headed out. 

It was a fifteen-minute distance he had walked many times in the past few years, yet it got scarier everytime. The closer he got to his destination, the faster his heart pounded. Getting suspicious looks from men and women twice his age made him cringe, he felt like a stray sheep amongst wolves.  
  
He finally reached the bar, The Black Hole as it was often referred to. His height made it slightly easier to find his way around but the height of the person he was looking for certainly did not help with spotting them.  
  
At last, he caught a glimpse of her blonde hair. As always, it was poker-straight and pulled back into a low, messy bun. Her ice-blue eyes reflected all kinds of colours shed onto them by the LED lights above the bar.  
  
As expected, she was not doing much but simply conversing with the customers that swallowed their drinks inconsiderately. Even though she had been hired as a bartender, she performed the job of a psychologist. With every scotch on the rocks, you got a free session with her.  
  
"Well, well, well. If it isn't babydick." She greeted Eren in her own, adorable way, shooing the person she was previously discussing with in order to make room for the student. One could say he received special treatment from her, she would assist him any time while everyone else had to wait in line. "What is it this time? Think you might be gay?"  
  
"No, no. It's nothing like that. I've just been contemplating life in general."  
  
"Knew it, you're gay."  
  
"No!"

"Alright. Whatever you say, babydick." That nickname would stick with him forever. She came up with it when Eren first visited the bar with his friends. They had gotten mercilessly drunk and confessed their deepest secrets to Annie. He never really asked her what he confessed to her that night, he probably hoped she'd forget someday. But the nickname would forever prove him wrong.  
  
"Annie, do you believe in coincidence?"  
  
"Depends."  
  
"Aren't some things just... too strange to be coincidence?"  
  
Was she really one to talk about strange things? The girl with monotone voice, broken nose and constantly stoic expression. She used to arrive at school late and covered in bruises, excusing her appearance with a mere 'I got in a fight'. A lot of people had gotten quick looks of her beating other students up after they had made a sarcastic remark on her crooked nose. Eren did not know her back then, they did not speak and he never really noticed her absense. Now he couldn't help but wonder when she stopped going to school and why.  
  
"Why did I know you'd say that. Look, Eren. Life is full of luck, like getting dealt a good hand, or by simply being in the right place at the right time. Some people get luck handed to them, a second chance, a save. It can happen heroically, or by a simple coincidence, but there are those who don't get luck on a shiny platter, who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, who don't get saved."  
  
He'd hit a nerve and he knew it. You don't speak of rope in a hanged man's house. But the question still lingered in his mind; who was the hanged man?


	4. Colorblind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took a while, I kept feeling that something was missing. Anyways, enjoy~

Walking around the neighborhood was a daily thing for the youngsters of these streets. It was never unusual for small groups of friends to walk all the way to school and then back again. That was something Eren had not done in a long time. But after meeting up with his friends once or twice in the past weeks, he had decided to pick up the habit once more and remember their childhood years.

  
"Do you guys ever think this neighborhood could use a taqueria?" Eren wondered, interrupting their chit-chat, reminding himself yet again how monotonous his life was.

  
"Negative. What this neighborhood needs is a fancy library!" Armin noted proudly.

  
"What this neighborhood needs is a good sex shop." Mikasa argued.

  
"Sweet Baby Jesus, Mikasa!"

  
"Wait, what?" Eren raised a questioning eyebrow at the expression but his confusion seemed to go unnoticed by the other two, so he simply shrugged it off.

  
They continued to walk peacefully towards their homes until their stroll was interrupted by a loud buzzing sound coming from Eren's back pocket.

  
"Insert sexual vibration joke here." Armin giggled.

  
"I think he wanted a cheap thrill but, goddamn Eren, that's low."

  
"My god, you guys! Drop it, would you?" He said and answered the call, bit too upset to actually look at the name. "Speak!" He demanded and his friends laughed at his rage.

  
"I will allow this conversation. Speak!" Mikasa mimicked him, only to be shushed immediately.

  
The voice on the other end was strangely familiar and unexpected. "Hello? Eren?"

  
"Doctor Smith?" Eren assured. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry for calling you all of a sudden. I hope I'm not interrupting anything but it's somewhat urgent." Erwin said in what seemed like a very calm tone to accompany whatever he claimed to be important.

  
Eren's eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "I'm listening."

  
"Well, you see, I will be attending some seminars, come next week. I know you wish for your appointments to be on Fridays only but I will be gone by then so would it be okay for you to come Thursday? It will be just your regular check-up." He rambled. "I would like to make sure everything is in check so you won't need my assistance while I'm gone."

  
"Thursday? So, tomorrow?" He did not particularly mind as that meant he would miss Mrs. Zoe's class. He loved the professor very much but her way of going from the immune system to lectures about creatures on Earth that have yet to be discovered, that always gave the kid headaches. "Sure."

  
"Great. Same time, then. See you tomorrow, Eren."

  
"Hawaii, here we come!" Another manly voice exclaimed from the end of the line and the call suddenly ended.

  
Eren simply shook his head and sighed, relieved that it was nothing truly serious.

  
"I liked that conversation. Another!" Armin mocked and Eren couldn't help but chuckle as he slid his phone back into his pocket. Everything was almost back to normal.

 

* * *

 

"Eren Jaeger?" The unfamiliar nurse called and Eren followed into the doctor's office, quietly pushing the door closed.

  
It was very rare that he would not have to wait before being called in but for some reason, everything was moving smoothly. Everyone was accepted on time and finished in less than ten minutes.

  
"Shall we get started?" The doctor asked merely for the sake of sounding polite.

  
"Sure. Although I don't really get why you think it's necessary."

  
"It's not. But I'd like to think you won't put your life in serious danger if you start crossing roads carelessly again."

  
The citrine-eyed boy threw his head back and groaned. He never liked to be reminded of his mistakes, especially with the sarcastic demeanor his doctor projected at that moment.

  
Once again, he was handed the clip and mouthpiece. He knew what to do from there. Nostrils pressed securely down, mouthpiece in place and calm, generous breaths. He closed his eyes in order to achieve the perfectly timed exhales and inhales the doctor wished to monitor.

  
For the first time ever, the check-up seemed to pass by in utter silence which appealed to the teen way more than he would have anticipated. The examination was almost over and he was ready to open his eyes. Or so he thought.

  
As he raised the glowing orbs to the wall opposite to him, he noticed the door was open ever so slightly, even though he distinctly remembered having shut it. At first glance, that was all it was. A faulty door. At second glance, a familiar, steel-grey eye was looking through the opening of said door, fixated on the young boy who froze at the realization.

  
"Eren?" The doctor's worried voice broke the silence. "Are you okay? Should we stop?"

  
He had nearly forgotten how to breathe for a few seconds. Suddenly, he shot up from his seat, exiting the room without a single word. He did not bother asking anyone if they had seen the person he was searching for, maybe it was better that way. Would they not think he was crazy?

  
Stopping by a window to catch his breath, he finally spotted the shorter male sat on the bench of the garden. Right by the flowerbeds, the purple, red, blue and yellow.

  
Eren wanted to run towards the man, worried that he might leave again. But he stayed there, unmoving. His pale skin under the sunlight contrasted his colorful surroundings in such a beautiful picture. Unfortunately, the young photographer was unprepared for that, having left his camera at home just this once.

  
As he approached the other, he could hear his deep voice softly singing a song he recognized.

_  
Take me to church_

_I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies_

_I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife_

_Offer me my deathless death_

_Good God, let me give you my life_

  
He knew that song but no name or artist came to mind. Time seemed to stretch, making it feel like he was walking aimlessly, not even close to reaching the man. All the while his voice lingered in the air, the teen could have sworn all the colors had vanished from the world.

  
Once the beautiful melody no longer reached his ears, colors burst all around him and he could finally feed air to his starved lungs. Only then did he manage to cover the small distance left between them, reluctantly, still in shock from the seemingly unearthly experience but hiding it effectively enough.

  
"H-how did you know I'd be here today?" He stuttered once he had revealed himself, sitting by the older man's side.

  
His silvery eyes were directed to the younger boy's golden ones, as expressionless as they had been imprinted in Eren's memory for the past month. "I didn't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So so sorry for the abrupt ending/cliffhanger -if you can really call it that- but the next chapter is going to be a big thing so I hope you're as hyped as I am hee~


End file.
